The 12 days of Christmas: Muhlestein Family Edition Installment 2

     Today is Daddy. Here it goes.

     Daddy, as his name suggests, is my father. He is just an all around stud. Last week in American History, we talked about the structure of the family in the 1830's. The teacher talked about how the women would make the food, do the laundry, make the clothes, do basically everything. The men, more specifically the father, would go out, earn money for the family, give it to his wife, and lounge around for the rest of the day. He then asserted that the situation lives on to this day, as his wife said that she will not shed a tear the day her father passes away. This got me thinking what the heck is this lady thinking? My father does go to work, but when he comes home, he doesn't lounge around. He asks his wife for a job, he talks to his children, he does more work. He will only sit down and watch something if it is BYU sports, or general conference. I honestly don't know what she was thinking.

     Daddy is also the ultimate comforter. Whether you need it or not. When I was in elementary school, where you had late start every day, I would go to scriptures at an unearthly hour every morning, and then daddy would stand up and say "I am going to sleep a little longer. You are all welcome to come and snuggle with me".

     It was often that he would have four children in his bed with him. Even when his children just want to do something with him. For example, he once took planned two weeks in advance to take Mary hiking, just because she wanted to. He took me camping once, and was going to take me sooner than we went, but there was a rain storm inhibiting flight out of Dallas, and he called and sadly delivered the news. I felt sad that I wasn't going camping, but I felt my father's love.

     Whenever Tanner and I get it a massive fight, Daddy usually uses his superior strength and ability to contort peoples bodies in strange ways to separate us, then he just lays next to us and hugs us tightly until we calm down. It is very calming.

     Daddy is also the best example I can think of of a good priesthood holder. For as long as I remember, Daddy has insisted upon going to church if at all possible, even in the dead of China. If his children, or anyone for that matter, ever ask him for a blessing, he asks why so he knows what to bless you for, but doesn't question it. He knows that he holds the priesthood and it is his duty to share it with his family. One role of a priesthood bearing father is to raise his children in righteousness. He does that. He has diligently taught and still teaches 11 children the ways of doing right and wrong, and he has never been faulty in his judgement. He is the power house of advice. Overall, Daddy is the type of man that every father should aspire to be.